Pay-to-Win Cultivation: I Get 10,000x Returns

Chapter 231: After All, My Guiyuan Sect is the Leader of the Righteous Path

Nangong Yao lunged forward, the black mist around her body writhing like a nest of agitated snakes.

“What is the meaning of this?” Her voice grated like grinding stones. “Look at me! Neither human nor ghost… did you orchestrate this hell from the shadows?”

“Not at all. I was initially unaware of your specific plight.”

Taichu Zhenren spoke softly, his voice carrying the gentle cadence of a concerned grandfather. As he spoke, he raised a hand and pointed a finger casually toward Nangong Yao’s chest.

Zip.

A tiny, pulsating green speck of light was dragged out of Nangong Yao’s body, hovering obediently at Taichu Zhenren’s fingertip.

He pinched his fingers together, crushing the light into dust.

“A tracking Gu spirit,” he said indifferently. “Hidden deep within your primordial spirit. The technique was quite subtle. I removed it for you, lest you continue to be watched by… unwanted eyes.”

Nangong Yao froze.

Then, realization hit her like a physical blow.

Extreme fury and resentment exploded in her chest. No wonder Zhang Xian had been able to locate her with such terrifying precision every single time.

It turned out that as early as three years ago—during the Grand Competition where he had first humiliated her—he had already planted this parasite.

To kill her, he had schemed for years, exhausting every possible means. Zhang Xian was the architect of her ruin. He was the reason she was a monster.

She forcibly suppressed the boiling killing intent, her knuckles cracking. “Please continue, Grandmaster.”

Taichu Zhenren nodded benevolently.

“At the time, I discovered you were being contaminated by [Hatred]. The puppet master, Qianji, attempted to refine you into a flesh-and-blood puppet. He intended to wipe your Divine Sense and use your body as a vessel to control the [Hatred].”

He scoffed softly, a sound of refined disdain.

“A clever idea, but doomed to fail. This method of suppression was attempted long ago in your Southern Region. It appears safe, but it shackles the true potential of [Hatred]. It is merely abandoning the root for the branch.”

He paused, his eyes gleaming with wisdom. “However, Qianji did possess unique expertise in the path of puppetry. A body that is half-human and half-puppet can indeed resist the corrosion of [Hatred] effectively.”

“So,” he continued, “when he slaughtered your clansmen to extract their essence blood and strengthen the bond, I simply… intervened. I slightly weakened his Divine Sense protection at the critical moment.”

Taichu Zhenren smiled kindly. “Therefore, his efforts came to naught. Instead of enslaving you, he left himself open. You counterattacked, and he became your puppet.”

Nangong Yao’s tone turned icy. “So, from beginning to end, I was just a pawn on your chessboard? An experiment to verify your theories?”

“If I hadn’t intervened, you would have been annihilated, body and soul,” Taichu Zhenren replied, neither confirming nor denying the accusation. “Or, if I had acted too early, you would have become a mindless killing monster. The current situation… is the best possible outcome for you.”

Nangong Yao sneered behind her hood. “Heh. So I should thank the Grandmaster for his ‘generosity’?”

Taichu Zhenren ignored the sarcasm. He knew the [Hatred] had twisted her mind into paranoia. Instead of arguing, he offered a bait.

“If you can cultivate to my realm in the future, it is not impossible to completely refine the [Hatred]. You could reverse yin and yang, reshaping your flesh and blood into a true body once more.”

Nangong Yao snorted, clearly not believing such empty promises.

Seeing this, Taichu Zhenren sighed leisurely.

BOOM.

The air in the cabin instantly turned frigid.

An aura of absolute terror erupted from the old man—pure, sophisticated, and infinitely sinister. Dense black Qi, thick as tar, churned and coiled around him. It shared the same origin as [Hatred], yet it was far more condensed, far more ancient.

Nangong Yao gasped, stumbling back two steps. The pressure was suffocating. It was a higher form of evil than she could even comprehend.

“I do not deceive children,” Taichu Zhenren said, his voice echoing as if from a great depth. “What I suppress within my own body is [Greed], one of the Seven Emotions. I have held it for over a thousand years.”

In an instant, the monstrous black aura retracted without a trace.

The terrifying entity vanished, replaced once again by the kindly, rustic Taoist elder.

Nangong Yao’s heart pounded against her ribs. It took a long moment for her to process the shock. She decided not to dwell on the monster hidden inside him.

“Speak plainly,” she demanded, her voice trembling slightly. “What do you want me to do? And what do I get?”

“My target is Zhang Xian,” Taichu Zhenren said softly. “He has escaped and gone into hiding. We must force him to show himself. Go and destroy the Yunmiao Sect. That is his foundation. If you burn it to the ground, he will be unable to resist appearing.”

Nangong Yao retorted coldly, “Why don’t you do it yourself? With your cultivation, destroying the Yunmiao Sect would be as easy as turning over your hand.”

“After all,” Taichu Zhenren said, smoothing his robes, “my Guiyuan Sect is the Leader of the Righteous Path in the cultivation world. Without proper justification, how could I simply slaughter a fellow righteous sect like the Yunmiao Sect?”

He looked at her with paternal warmth. “It would be… improper.”

“Moreover,” he added, “the Yunmiao Sect is not as simple as you think. I will personally take action to intercept their most troublesome Supreme Elder. As long as she is detained, with your current strength, trampling the remaining ants of the Yunmiao Sect will be effortless.”

The image of Sect Master Xing Jie flashed through Nangong Yao’s mind. Old hatred mixed with new power.

“Even if you didn’t ask, I would have returned to destroy the Yunmiao Sect sooner or later!” she hissed. “But what tangible benefits do I get?”

“Success will bring relief,” Taichu Zhenren promised. “I can personally act to temporarily suppress the backlash of the [Hatred] for you. I will alleviate the headache that erodes your sanity day and night, allowing you to think clearly for your revenge.”

Nangong Yao’s eyes flickered. Relief from the constant pain…

“Why should I believe you?”

“You can choose not to,” he shrugged. “You may disembark now and return to the Western Region ruins to struggle in the mud. I will absolutely not stop you.”

Nangong Yao fell silent.

Ultimately, her craving for power and her obsession with revenge prevailed.

She gritted her teeth. “Fine. I agree.”

She turned her gaze toward the three figures standing motionless behind Taichu Zhenren, her eyes fixing on the woman in white.

“And these three? What is their story?”

“They have fallen under my [Great Dream Evolution Art],” Taichu Zhenren said indifferently. “They serve me as their master now. Do not worry about them.”

Nangong Yao snorted coldly.

Suddenly, her figure blurred. She moved like a ghost, reappearing instantly in front of Long Zhi.

She raised a finger, the tip shimmering with sinister black light, and pressed it mercilessly against Long Zhi’s smooth, porcelain forehead.

Pfft.

The sharp nail pierced the skin. A stream of crimson blood trickled down Long Zhi’s pale cheek, staining her white robes.

Long Zhi did not blink. She sat there like a wooden statue, her eyes vacant and hollow. She felt no pain, showed no fear, and offered no resistance.

“I told you,” Taichu Zhenren’s voice remained flat. “Without my command, they possess no will.”

“Previously, she successfully killed Zhang Xian once. Focus on your mission in the Southern Region; I will leave Xuanzhao here to handle the rest. When the dust settles… this woman, along with Zhang Xian, will be yours to dispose of.”

Nangong Yao stared into Long Zhi’s dead eyes.

She looked at the woman who was once the “Pride of Heaven,” the Fairy of the Southern Region whom she had been forced to look up to. Seeing her reduced to a broken doll—a slave—filled the dark void in Nangong Yao’s heart.

The accumulated resentment and jealousy finally found an outlet.

“Hahahaha!”

Nangong Yao threw her head back, letting out a burst of wanton, maniacal laughter.

“Good! Good! Long Zhi, you finally have your day! A day where you are nothing but meat on my chopping block!”